Comparison of the effectiveness of red ginseng herbal mouth rinse with chlorhexidine and saline in oral cancer patients: A pilot double-blinded randomized control trial

Background: Red ginseng is an herb with many medicinal properties and aids as a mouth rinse with fewer side effects than chlorhexidine. Aim: The study aimed to compare the efficacy of red ginseng herbal mouth rinses with those of chlorhexidine and saline in oral cancer patients. Materials and methods: The present pilot study was a double-blinded randomized control trial with 45 histopathologically diagnosed oral squamous cell carcinoma patients divided into three groups: two intervention groups (herbal and chlorhexidine mouth rinse) and one control group (saline). Saliva samples for each patient were collected at baseline and after 14 days of using the mouth rinses. A microbiological examination of salivary samples was done by analysing total oral bacterial load along with specific counts for Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum at baseline and after the usage of mouth rinse. Statistical analysis: The data normality was analysed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and following the normal distribution of data, parametric tests were employed. Paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance, followed by post hoc Bonferroni test, were used for inter-group and intra-group differences. Result: There was a significant mean difference in total colony count, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis with oral hygiene index and gingival index improvement in the red ginseng herbal mouth rinse group when compared to the chlorhexidine and saline groups. Conclusion: In this study, red ginseng mouth rinse exhibited an increased antibacterial effect compared to chlorhexidine and saline. Hence, red ginseng mouth rinse can be used in oral cancer patients to maintain oral health, thereby improving the prognosis of these patients.